Monday, 26 October 2009

SMH: The Chill Factor

Daniel Scott discovers a harsh environment and enduring Inuit culture on an expedition cruise into the Arctic.

At first it is no more than a white blur on the distant shore of the long, low-ridged Mansel Island, under a boundless Arctic sky.

The pace among we six kayakers quickens as we paddle towards it across the clear, shallow sea. After seeing my first polar bear from a safe distance the previous evening, my chest rises with excited trepidation at the prospect of encountering another up close.